The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-12-29
Bottineau, Dak., Dec. 90, 1887.

ney and finally ysuhJectlng yourself and
family to all the priyations incidentto
q settlers life in anew country, how
ever good that country may be.
Were it not for the fact that I went
through that ordeal myself, as you are
aware, and had seven years experience
Of this country and believe that by
|Bxnerience ] can foresee the cost Of the
Ehettle AMI the compensation you will
Ultimately gain in the long ,un, !
would not venture to advise you to
come right along to this county.
While I am morally certain that any
part of North Dakota offers privileges,
more or less, that will pay a farmer to
leave the east to take advantage Of,
/ am as morally certain that this great
valley reaching between the Turtle
Mountains and the Mouse River and
even still further west, is the garden
/ Of the whole. ! venture to make this
broad assertion from the fact that /
farmed somewhat extensively for six
years in Walsh, the banner county Of
the Red River valley, and fr.m the
fact that during that time, for profit
or for pleasure, / travelled over q
great OF the north and~examined ma.
ny samples Of produce, rubbed shoul-s
ders and compared. notes with many
Of the best and most successful farm
ers in the territory. And from the
! fact that the wheat that took the first
Enrize at the Worlds show at New Or
ans, grew right here in our midst
aid it was Of no better quality than
tie many thousands Of bushels mar.
keted here this fall also from the fact
that many Of the agricultural papers
of the territory, while ever jealous Of
their several localities have mostly al.
lowed that Bottinean was entitled toi
take the cake in this respect.
II only taken the eye Of IN exper-s
fenced farmer q very short time to de.
eide wherein the secret ofsour wheat
raising lies. Imagine yourlf stand.
ing in the midst Of u great wheat FIELD
containing somewhere abouk q million
Of acres, the original bed d0RE great
ancient sea, tbe soil being composed
primarily of the decayed remains Of
plants, fishes and shells, when nature,
by some phenomenon, drained the
vast expanse Of water, il became in
turn, the home Of ruminating AMI.
mails, who paid back the debt they
owed the soil for sustenance BY
spreading their excrements over, the
surface, and their remains at last, as
! if to complete the contract, till BY
reason Of thisand other causes We have
black mould; from two to four feet,
deep over.laying = bebof clay which
il Of itself rich in organic reInaias
and would enrich many q worn out
farm in the east ifit could only be
utilized. Before the waters receded
they must have been highly impreg.
nated with lime and ammonia, as large
quantities Of each are found evenly
distributed through the soil. This
large tract IS thoroughly drained by
the Moose River. and q large number
of smaller tributaries and a. 3 gener.
al rule, the land IS dry enough to grow.
crops in q wet year and will retain
sufficient moisture to mature them il.
q dry.
IN the back ground Of this grand
scene stand the Turtle Mountains COW
erred with timber and most excellent
farming lands and ID tho fore ground
In the Big bend 81 Moose River there
|is known 10 Be vast deposits Of fsplend-l
ia coal which can be procured at Vi
cheap rate. There i no 4sAr Of i fuel
famine here, il this generation. While
there are good many farms yet I'M.
|4aken III sparsely settled portions Of
the GU, We have shout 10 towns of
|this illimitable valley from which the
settler can take hiis choice of $40 aoress
lthe daY he lands. and after AZ months
!i ~ thipke tlat \ not enough he can
ka6 Always ben coac ~ tt
a \ 4 Y